The Science of Religion and the Sociology of Knowledge

Focusing on the academic study of religion, Ninian Smart seeks to establish a scientific approach to the discipline. He differentiates between the study of religion and theology, advocating for a phenomenological method that examines religious attitudes without assuming the existence of deities. Additionally, he critiques projectionist theories, particularly those proposed by Berger, as well as the concepts of rationality in both religion and anthropology, addressing essential questions about the nature and methodology of religious studies.